A Dream Not Her Own
by Ryn-chan
Summary: Kari has developed her psychic abilities and starts having visions. Are the images she's watching real? What will happen to her and TK if they are?
1. A Dream of Past or Future

A Dream Not Her Own - Part 1  
  
The sunset was miraculous and the woman sitting on the cliff edge watched it with sad eyes. As if unable to stand the sight before her, the woman stood and began descending the mountain path to a small homey little cottage...  
  
A hand on her shoulder woke Kari out of her trance. Without looking up she knew who it was. "It must have been important for you to wake me."  
  
"You've been out of it for almost ten hours and you've barely eaten anything in over two days! What's happening, Kari?" scolded a male voice over her left shoulder.  
  
"You don't understand. I need more time."  
  
A sigh is heard and retreating footsteps. Kari picked up her pen and closed her eyes.  
Through the open door of a small cottage nestled in a glade of trees the woman can be seen sitting a table set for two. Hours pass and there is still no sign of her guest. At long last, she cleans up the ruined meal and goes to bed. After midnight a light rain begins to fall on the woman's pillow, and it is only a few hours to dawn when she fell into an uneasy slumber...  
  
Slowly Kari came out of her trance with bright sunlight streaming through the window. A glance at the clock shows that it is nearly noon. "Takeru? Takeru, where are you?"  
  
Takeru is walking down a sunny street leading to his brother's apartment. Normally he's not a quitter, but the situation is not a simple as it was when they were young. Back then he only had to compete with Davis the really dense clod that had pestered Kari all through Secondary School. But now . . . How does one compete with a dream?  
  
The police had just left. The woman's expected guest of the night before had been in an auto accident on his way up the treacherous mountain road. She can be seen with her head in her hands, her wracking sobs echoing through the small cottage. The pain she felt was intense, the guilt almost unbearable. Now she could never tell him that she loved him...  
  
Kari awoke to her own pain and the loneliness. She couldn't believe it. Takeru had left her when she most needed him. He just didn't understand. Kari almost didn't understand it herself. The pull, the compulsion to watch the woman, it was almost unreal.  
  
The phone rings for the first time in days startling Kari out of her musings. She answers it. "Hello?"  
  
"Kari, is Takeru there?" asked a voice. It was Yamatto, Takeru's brother.  
  
"No, he left. I'm sorry."  
  
Kari hung up the phone before Matt could say anything further, the tears streaming openly down her face. "What does this mean? Why did he leave?"  
  
The vision shifts from the cottage to a section of road corded off by the police. The spectators had long since gone home, the rescue teams had been replaced by cleaning crews. What was left of the wreck could not be called a car, just a twisted mass of steaming metal. Soon no one would know the tragedy that had killed the only man she would ever love...  
  
The visions were getting stronger now and Kari didn't need to meditate to see them. The woman's emotions were so similar to hers, and Kari felt more closely bound to the woman.   
  
Just as suddenly as the visions had started coming to her, they stopped and she saw something else. Something a lot more painful.  
  
Along the main street we can see Takeru wandering aimlessly amid many strangers. Abruptly he stops, looking around sharply. He moves forward again warily and hears the screech of breaks...  
  
The reality happened shortly after Kari saw it.   
  
Takeru was miserable. He wandered among strange faces before making his way back to his brother Matt's apartment. He was about to step into the street when he heard Kari's voice. She was nowhere in sight, but he looked again to be sure. Nothing. He stepped into the street. A car came squealing around the corner and Takeru barely had time to react before the world erupted in pain and went black.  



	2. The Wonder of Hope

"Kari! Kari, are you there?" Silence for a moment then there is the sound of a key in the lock and the door opens to admit Matt.  
  
A quick search reveals Kari unconscious on the living room floor.  
  
"Kari, Kari wake up," Matt tried almost everything in the book to wake Kari to no avail.  
  
He had just left to get a glass of water when Kari stirred and opened her eyes.  
  
"Oh, you decided to wake yourself up, did you?" he smiled sympathetically as he saw the pain in her eyes.  
  
"What's wrong with him, Matt?"  
  
"You know?" the astonishment is visible on Matt's face, although knowing Kari for as long as he had, it shouldn't have so much of a surprise.  
  
"Is he OK? Please Matt."  
  
"Kari..." Matt is unsure how to break the news but his grief clearly shows on his face. "He's not awake yet."  
  
The drive to the hospital was conducted in silence. Kari spent the trip trying to use her abilities to find Takeru's mind, crying in frustration when her search bring no results.  
  
"Dry your eyes Kari. If I know my brother, he wouldn't want this much of a fuss made over him."  
  
"Oh Matt, what if..."  
  
"No 'what if' s Kari. He's going to make it and we're going to help him. Let's go."  
  
As they entered the hospital, it hit her. She understood now. The dream had been her warning of what it would have been like without him. The uncertain fear after his leaving had caused so much pain and she knew that the pain would have increased had the dream been real.  
  
The realization of what had almost happened hit Kari hard and she needed time to regain her composure.  
  
With a barely coherent explanation Kari headed to the hospital gift shop, leaving Matt to the vigil over Takeru.  
  
The doctor arrived at Takeru's room at the same time as Kari did and his prognosis was not good.  
  
Kari ignores the doctor, going instead to Takeru's side.  
  
Matt escorts the doctor back into the hall to discuss his brother's condition.  
  
"Well Doc, what's wrong with him?"  
  
"Considering the possibilities, he's doing quite well, although his unconscious state is a cause for worry. The scrapes, bruises, and broken bones are the least of his problems right now. His fever is understandable for someone who's lost as much blood as he has. The really baffling part is the he is demonstrating symptoms of acute upper abdominal post ordem dysentia." *  
  
"He will recover, right?"  
  
"As long as he wakes up soon. That concussion he's sporting is complicating his condition."  
  
"Matt?" unnoticed by anyone Kari had been listening through the open door.  
  
"It's not that bad Kari. Now, you keep watch while I get us something to eat. We'll do him no good of we're sick ourselves."  
  
"I know Matt, and I understand. Don't take too long."  
  
"Relax Kari. What could happen?"  
  
Before she could answer Matt had disappeared down the hallway. Kari smiled softly. Trust Matt to ask a rhetorical question at a time like this.  
  
The smiles slowly faded from Kari's face and she turned back into the room.  
  
Kari silently thanked some thoughtful nurse who had brought more comfortable chairs into the room before they had arrived.  
  
At first Kari simply sat there stating at Takeru, counting the seconds going by. Then she reached out and took his hand in her own, closed her eyes, and started to hope.  
  



	3. Moment of Awakening

Besieged by sympathetic nurses Matt made his trip to the hospital cafeteria as fast as possible. Oh, what a nightmare. He thought. They didn't deserve this.  
  
Matt still didn't understand Takeru's hasty account of what had made him leave Kari. Out of all the DigiDestined couples they were the only ones still together. Mimi and Joe separated by a continent, Tai and Sora separated by divorce... and now this.  
  
The elevator doors opened.  
  
Matt made a move to enter the elevator just a someone tried to exit it. The resulting collision was inevitable.  
  
Gathering his scattered wits Matt took only a few seconds to recognize the figure he had run into. "Sora!"  
Not wasting any time Matt helped Sora to her feet.  
  
"Thank you Matt. I came to see Takeru, but he was with Kari and I didn't want to disturb them, so I came looking for you." Sora was a little frazzled. Needless to say she wasn't expecting to confront Matt in this manner. She wasn't exactly sure she should be here.  
  
"Sora... I... We'll have more time to talk later, but for now, lets go see how my little brother's doing." Matt smiled. Maybe everything would turn out right, just this once...  
  
***  
\  
So much hope... Kari could feel hope. Hope for her, for Takeru, and for Matt and Sora. Maybe...  
  
Kari opened her eyes and found Takeru staring at her with his gorgeous blue eyes. Kari almost couldn't believe it. Kari smiled shakily through her sudden tears. "You're awake. Oh, Takeru..."  
  
She hoped for me, she cried for me... Takeru really didn't know what to do with tears, but he knew Kari didn't quite believe he was really awake. So he did what he could. He kissed her to prove it.  



End file.
